(GREENWOOD) — On Friday, a driver almost hit a boy who was crossing the street to go to his bus stop in Greenwood. Two mothers say it’s time for a change.
The mothers said cars fly through their neighborhood, Honey Creek Meadows, despite police speed traps and the neighborhood association’s attempts to get help from the Greenwood Common Council. The neighborhood is near Johnson County roads 125 West and 750 North (also known as West Worthsville Road).
Stephanie McCann said she witnessed it. She said the car “was going across the street and almost swerved into my yard just to miss him.”
Jennifer Chambers said she also saw the car narrowly miss the boy.
“All I heard was the mom screaming his name, which obviously caught my attention. That was the closest thing I have ever seen to another child getting hit,” Chambers said.
Chambers and McCann said some drivers cut through Honey Creek Meadows to avoid traffic on nearby roads. The mothers said they are terrified to let their kids play outside.
“Kids as little as pre-K up until sixth grade go to the bus stop, and cars just fly by and they don’t stop. Some of them don’t even stop for the bus,” McCann said. “It is just getting ridiculous ever since they made this a through, connecting the neighborhoods, people cut through just flying.”
“I mean I have followed people before who just come right from there and go straight out the other end,” Chambers said.
Chambers and McCann said the speeding is worse during the times kids are getting on and off the bus.
“As a mom it just tears on your heartstrings. In a split second, your whole life could be upside-down,” McCann said.
Neighbors say the police have repeatedly set up temporary speed traps.
Chambers said, “We need somebody to come in and stop these drivers and quit letting them just continuously speed all the way through here.”
On Monday, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed the order to send nearly $400,000 to 39 different police departments. The goal is to make sure that drivers are stopping for stopped school buses, and to make sure that people are slowing down in school zones. Legislators toughened penalties for driving past a bus stop arm this year after three kids were killed walking to their bus last year.
